


Project: ARK

by metalsonic



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Other, Space Colony ARK
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 02:01:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14125707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/metalsonic/pseuds/metalsonic
Summary: What would have happened if Shadow the Hedgehog had failed to escape the raid on The Space Colony ARK? Here, we find out!





	Project: ARK

**Author's Note:**

> hellooo!! ive posted fics here before (they've since been deleted) so im trying to get back into the swing of it.  
> this for right now is just a prologue. if you enjoy it, please let me know, and i will continue the story! it's all planned out, i just need to write it. ships and more characters will come in later!
> 
> EDIT 1/17/19: This won't be continued, sorry! The AU has changed drastically (for the better), maybe one day I'll try again.

_The Space Colony ARK, 19XX_

* * *

 

    The only noise in the room was the gentle humming of machinery, mixed with the subtle, muffled sloshing of liquid. Professor Gerald Robotnik found the background noise brought him some tranquility; the hum of the life support system assured him that his newest creation was still alive, receiving nutrients from the green water it was submerged in. It felt peaceful, less lonely, to have another living being in the same room as him, even if it couldn’t talk back just yet. Gerald sighed as he hunched over his blueprints and research papers; his desk was messy, but it was an organized mess. A pencil he was tapping against his nose went flying when a voice floated through the air.

    "Grandpa?” The soft voice whispered, crystal clear and pristine in the ARK’s still air. ‘Grandpa’ turned around in surprise, relaxing when he saw it was just his granddaughter, Maria Robotnik. He straightened his moustache a bit as she stood in the doorway; she was in her blue nightgown, short hair messy on her shoulders.

    "What are you doing out of bed so late, sweetheart?” He asked, glancing at a clock, which read _0300._ “Is something wrong?” Gerald fretted, going to stand up and help the young girl back to her room. She stomped a bare foot angrily, crossing her arms and puffing out her cheeks.

    "It’s almost time for my therapy, but I don’t want to do it! It’s boring and it makes my hair yucky and my head hurt.” She rocked back and forth on her feet. “I want to see my baby brother!” Maria trotted over to the tank, placing her tiny, frail palms on the glass. The green liquid reflected on her pale skin as she peered inside. Gerald hurriedly got up from his chair.

 _I can’t believe I forgot about her treatment times!_ He must be really tired, but now was not the time for mental scolding. “Honey-” he began, reaching a hand out to hold his granddaughter by the shoulder, but paused when a frustrated, scrunched up face turned to look at him.

    "Why is he always sleeping?” Maria pouted. “We’re awake! He deserves to be awake too. Surely he’s not tired anymore!” She presses her nose harder against the glass, as if she can use her mind and will alone to wake up the sleeping creature. Her breath fogs up a small section of it, and Gerald gently pulls her away.

    "Alright, you make a good point,” He pauses to let Maria beam, then continues. “Let’s see if he’s ready to wake up, okay?” She nods excitedly, glancing at the sleeping face of her ‘baby brother’. The Professor lets go of her and moves to a side panel of the tank, pulling a switch located there. Out comes a small control panel, and he begins to type complex coded commands into it that not even Maria could keep up with just yet. Instead, she opts to watch her brother come to life. As the life support system stops pumping the drug that keeps him sedated, he slowly begins to stir in the tank, disturbing bubbles that were previously always almost on the same path.

    Gerald steps back, placing a hand on Maria’s shoulder once more and leading her back a few paces with him. She doesn’t protest; she knows he’s not going to make her leave, he’s just being cautious. They both really wanted to forget the prototype that came before this one. Maria lets out a small gasp when she sees a tiny black ear flick. She looks up at Gerald, who smiles back down at her, then returns his gaze to the awakening experiment. Black and red striped hands move for the first time, clenching into fists, then unclenching. Their fingers flexed, showing off the claws at the ends of them, the one part of its anatomy that Gerald did not like so much. Black eyelids bordered by red slowly opened, revealing similarly red eyes. They blink a few times, then glance around. A grin a mile wide stretches across Maria’s face, and she pushes the Professor aside, rushing back to the tank. Her deep blue eyes stare into wide red ones, which stare right back. The eyes seem to catch a fleeting look at her lips, and a moment later, a small, strange smile forms on the creature’s dark muzzle as it attempts to mimic Maria. It definitely looks off, but it’s also _definitely_ a smile.

    “Hi, Shadow!” She greets with an exaggerated wave. Shadow stares down at his own hand, looks back at the girl in front of him, then returns her gesture with a couple small flaps of his hand. Maria turns back to Gerald, ecstatic. “He waved back! Did you see, did you?” she cheers, skirt bouncing at her excited movement.

    “I sure did. He must really like you already.” Gerald uses a large hand to ruffle her blond hair, then observes as Shadow pats at his quills, now mimicking the Professor, too. He’s certainly fairly intelligent already, a good sign, perhaps this would go better than last time. “Now, you mustn’t skip your treatment. Let’s hurry you back.” He urges gently, nudging Maria towards the door. She lets out a whine.

    “I want to be with Shadow! This is his very first time seeing the world!”

    “He’ll still be here when you return. I will keep a close eye on him, I promise.” He tried to wear her down, and it seemed to be working. She sighed, looking at Shadow again, who was currently very interested in his chest fur, pulling and brushing it with his fingers.

    “See you again soon, Shadow.” Maria gives him another, less happy wave as another person in a lab coat gently takes her hand and leads her away, presumably back to her room. Shadow stares at the two retreating, puzzled. He tries waving again, and it looks a tad better this time. He watches the door eagerly, hoping his new friend would come back since he waved; but she didn’t. He does not smile anymore as he presses his black hand against the glass, looking from the empty doorway over to Gerald. It was like he was trying to ask a question without speaking. _‘Where did she go?’_

“It’s time for you to rest some more,” Gerald spoke softly to Shadow as he approached the side of the tank. Red eyes were on him the entire time he worked, entering commands to start up the flow of sedatives back into the experiment’s bloodstream again. He still watched the Professor even as his eyes started to roll back and blink closed, now wearing an expression that one could describe as miserable. The frown on his face remained even as he re-entered his previously interrupted slumber. Gerald rested his head against the hard, cold metal of the container, closing his own eyes behind his glasses and sighing.

    "Rest easy."


End file.
